On test at OVERDRIVE: Putoline Tech Chain lubricant

Keeping our motorcycle chains in good nick is a repetitive process for people who ride in dirty, grimy places like our cities. If you like off-roading or riding the highways, especially during the rains, even more so. For the longest time, the option has been the Motul Chain Lube which comes in black cans and is available literally everywhere. Unfortunately, the Motul C2 Chain Lube (Rs 515 for 400ml can) is also not very good at its job. It simply doesn't last. Ducati India, for instance, uses that on my chain (and I have done so as well) and rarely, if ever, has it made it to the 500km mark! So I've been looking for options. The first option that came about recently was jcMoto's Dino Lube, which comes in small packs with a gel-like lubricant you apply with a brush. And now, from Baycity Speed Shop we have this, Putoline Tech Chain, which people I trust already say is about the best you can do when it comes spray-on chain lubricants in India right now.

Who is Putoline?Putoline Oil is a company that supplies products only for motorcycles and scooters. Established in 1970, it originally created a range only for bicycles and mopeds. The founder, Jan Put, though, liked motocross and that prompted his company to create a line of motocross-specific products. Putoline is now sold in over 40 countries and claims to have the world's largest range of motorcycle lubricants. Putoline also has a long history of racing and says that racing has, as it were, improved its breed. Today. Putoline's tag line is "Driven by Technology" and they say today, they are the first manufacturer to introduce nanotechnology in lubricants targeted at motorcycles.

Who is Baycity Speed Shop?Baycity Speed Shop is a distribution firm based out of Mumbai that specialises in motorcycle riding gear, and accessories and maintenance equipment. Among the brand names that they represent in India are Putoline, DNA filters, RapidBike (piggy-back ECU systems), MIVV exhausts and RST, the motorcycle gear brand among a big list.

What is Tech Chain?Tech Chain comes in 100ml and what you see in the pics, a 500ml spray can. Inside the can is a 'Ceramic Wax' chain lubricant says the company. The Putoline wax formula uses a range of additives including PTFE and is suited for both O-ring and motocross chains.PTFE is polytetrafluoroethylene, which 3M brands as Teflon. It is known to be the slipperiest substance known to man and all that. There are also, increasingly, growing concerns about PTFE being eco-unfriendly. In our case, the Tech Chain composition has wax as the lubricant base with many additives.

How to apply?You do have to clean your chain thoroughly anyway but wax-based spray lubricants work best with super-clean chains. The application process is simple enough. You lift the long nozzle up, point and squirt, and ensure that the whole chain has an even coat of the lubricant. The liquid will evaporate, leaving behind a white layer of lubricant that isn't sticky to the touch but feels more powdery than anything. Wax-based lubricants are known to be less prone to collecting grime and dust.

First impressionsThe colour of the lube is definitely odd. Because it feels like your squirting milk on your chain. And if you over-squirt or aim badly - don't ask how I know - your recently cleaned sprocket will have ugly white-ish stains on it too. But once the lube dried, the chain seemed coated evenly, was non-sticky and I was happy to note that the chain look dry and grime-free even after two days of commuting in a very wet Mumbai. Putoline promises that Tech Chain doesn't fling and that the grime build up is low. So far, these promises appear to be delivering! Stay tuned for more stories.